A second was staged the same year near Budapest in Hungary. Eight races took place in with 11 pilots competing.

In the calendar was extended to include ten races with the first race on South American soil taking place in Rio de Janeiro.

The largest number of pilots so far took part in six races in In the series, during training runs prior to the race, Brazilian pilot Adilson Kindlemann crashed his plane into the Swan River in Perth.

Rescuers were on site within seconds and Kindlemann was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital where it was determined that he had suffered no serious injury.

As of [update] , it is the only crash in the history of the Red Bull Air Race. The series of races worldwide was cancelled. The decision was taken by Red Bull on 27 July to allow for a "headquarters" restructure as well as the implementation of new safety measures.

Eventually, the series was cancelled as well. In earlier seasons, and , pilots first ran two qualifying rounds to determine starting order, with the fastest time starting last.

The race was then run over two rounds, and the combined time of both rounds determines the winner. Starting in , a new knock-out format was introduced which was modified for The starting order is the order in which the pilots will race in each flying session.

The highest ranking pilot starts first. Starting order for new race pilots is determined by a draw. The starting order for Qualifying is defined by the results of the fourth training session.

The order is reversed so that the slowest pilot from the fourth training session starts first. The starting order for all sessions on Race Day is determined by the results in Qualifying.

The order is reversed so that the slowest pilot from Qualifying starts first. The current points scoring format see first place receive 15 points, second place receive twelve, on through tenth who receives one.

Pilots are required to complete the 5—6-kilometre-long 3. Failure to do this correctly results in penalty seconds being added to their race time.

Penalty seconds can be added for an incorrect passing of an Air Gate or passing an Air Gate at an incorrect orientation.

For more serious breaches of the rules, pilots may be ruled as "Did Not Finish" or disqualified. Three different gate types require a specific manner of crossing.

Penalties are incurred for violations of the rules, as follows. Competitors have tuned their aircraft for better performance. However, the safety implications of engine or airframe failures mean that performance tuning by individual teams, though commonly done in motorsports, is strictly limited in scope.

It transmits timing and speed data which is picked up and displayed on large spectator screens. The first prototype pylon was developed by Martin Jehart of Bellutti Protection Systems, an Austrian engineering firm specializing in the manufacturing of technical materials and tarpaulin.

They initially used a latex balloon for crash tests and aerodynamic studies and after many tests and research settled on the use of a combination of different materials, the crucial component being spinnaker ripstop nylon , an extremely lightweight and flexible material used for making sails for boats.

This would prove to be a breakthrough in the development of the Air Gates producing a pylon that would rip instantaneously when hit by a plane.

Over 70 tests of the pylon were carried out on the ground using a car with a wing strapped on the roof before they were ready to undergo tests with a real plane.

Eight different cars were used in these tests as well as a trailer and truck. The first Air Gates, which were cylindrical , were finally ready to be used at the very first Red Bull Air Races held in Austria and Hungary later that year.

They have to be delicate enough to burst apart the instant they are touched by an aircraft and sturdy enough to remain stationary in all weather conditions, including stormy weather and strong winds.

The early cylindrical pylons fulfilled the first criterion but proved to be too unstable in the wind. The answer came in with the cone design.

Inside the Air Gate a relatively high, and carefully monitored, pressure level is maintained with the use of powerful electrical, petrol-powered blowers that help keep the Air Gates steady even in windy conditions.

For races over water, the Air Gates are secured to a floating barge which has stability anchors. Unlike early models, the current structures are made up of six sections attached together by zippers and Velcro to allow quick replacement if damaged by a plane.

Prior to May , the races had used more than eight tons of fabric for the various pylons, and the average life of each pylon was 15 races.

If a pylon is hit by the plane, it is designed to break apart, preventing it from harming the plane and pilot. The damaged parts of the pylon are replaced by course personnel nicknamed "Air Gators".

It usually takes a few minutes to replace a pylon. The record for the setup of a replacement pylon is 1 minute 30 seconds, set in Three new pilots join the Challenger Class January, 22nd Feb 8th - Feb 9th.

Some tweaks to the rules that will thrill fans in Czepiela on being Challenger Champ January, 22nd Top 10 unforgettable moments of December, 31st Checking in with the champ December, 18th One of the perks of being a Red Bull Air Race pilot — or photographer — is getting to collaborate on creative photo opportunities outside the racetrack.

Here, in the s But what does a tactician do? Carol Vorderman goes for a spin August, 24th Brit Paul Bonhomme stole the show with a spectacular Closest ever finish in VWC December, 21st